TELOS MOONRISE LAUNCHES WITH STEAMPUNK AND HORROR

Telos Publishing’s new Digital and POD imprint, Telos Moonrise, launches this September with two new titles guaranteed to thrill, excite and horrify! David J Howe and Stephen James Walker, Editorial Directors of Telos Publishing, have acquired world rights in a collection of Victorian-themed ghostly short horror stories, and in a trilogy of Steampunk novella-length adventures.

Raven Dane’s collection Absinthe & Arsenic is a varied and spooky selection of horror fiction. ‘I love ghost stories,’ said David J Howe, ‘and Raven manages to effortlessly capture the sense of the Victorian fascination for ghosts and spirits. Her tales chill and terrify while remaining rooted in an English sensibility of honour and propriety. I love her writing and imagination. These are fabulous stories in a classic tradition!’

‘I have known of Telos Publishing for many years as a well-respected bench mark for beautifully produced books created with dedication, professionalism and a passion for their subjects,’ said Dane. ‘I was therefore honoured and delighted to have my short story collection,Absinthe & Arsenic, accepted by the new Telos Moonrise imprint. It couldn’t be in safer hands!’

The first in a trilogy of Steampunk novellas, Dr Tripps’ Kaiju Cocktail, is by noted comedian and big-game hunter Kit Cox, whose alter ego Major Jack Union penned a guide to some of the fantastic creatures he has encountered on his expeditions around the world.

Telos’ Commissioning Editor Sam Stone said, ‘The minute I started to read Kit’s story I realised it would be perfect for Telos’ Steampunk imprint. Dr Tripps’ Kaiju Cocktail merges both the Steampunk and Dieselpunk genres and is an all round, satirical medley of fantasy fun. I was in awe of Kit’s imagination and creativity. We believe it will make an excellent addition to the line-up of new fiction being assembled for Telos Moonrise.’

When asked what influenced his novella Cox said, ‘I always loved the availability of Wells, Verne and Doyle to the Victorian and Edwardian public. Books we think as classical literature that all started as easily afforded and readable on the go magazines, such as the Strand.’ Cox went on to say how thrilled he was to have been signed by Telos: ‘Telos has a good pedigree of strong science fiction, horror and adventure that appeals to the schoolboy inside me. Keeping such greats as Doctor Who alive whilst others had placed it on the “to do” pile. Telos Moonrise expands on this by making real books available to buy for your shelf and hold in your hand but accepts the world of eBooks for the joy of reading on the go. A company run by authors, for authors, makes the reader realise that if the book is Telos Moonrise it will be a ripping yarn and you can dive straight in.’

Telos Moonrise is offering an attractive 60% eBook royalty to authors for books published in its Moonrise imprint, as well as the chance for readers to get physical copies as well. ‘We felt it was important to offer our authors the best deal we could,’ said David J Howe. ‘It’s always been one of our driving forces that Telos Publishing be turned to by readers for the quality of the books we publish, and by authors for the quality of the deals we offer.’

Both Absinthe & Arsenic and Dr Tripps’ Kaiju Cocktail will be launched at the annual Steampunk Asylum event which takes place in Lincoln in September.

Raven Dane is an award-winning fantasy author based in the UK. Her published works include the highly acclaimed Legacy of the Dark Kind series and the dark fantasy/sci-fi crossover novels Blood Tears, Blood Lament and Blood Alliance. Her comedy fantasy The Unwise Woman of Fuggis Mire – a scurrilous spoof of high fantasy clichés – was met with great enthusiasm by the reading public. In more recent years Raven has met with critical acclaim for her Steampunk/occult adventures Cyrus Darian and the Technomicron andCyrus Darian and the Ghastly Horde.

Kit Cox spends most of his time surrounded by monsters in his underground Victorian study. Growing up in the shadow of Chatham dockyard Kit took to drawing at the age of five and clearly could only see a world populated by big game hunters wrestling dinosaurs and girls in skimpy clothes, flying jet packs. When the pictures failed to tell the whole story he took to writing. Kit’s first and internationally nominated book, How to Bag a Jabberwock, written under the guise of Major Jack Union, unlocked this world to everyone. Inspired by the weirdness and wonder of real history and sprinkled with the fantastical fiction of the Edwardian era’s science romance (the forerunner to Sci Fi) Kit continues to bring that world to life for a modern audience and hopefully inspire people to check out the real Historical mysteries hiding within his stories.